


All the words I could not say

by Oumy



Series: 2C Extras [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, Fic extra, First Meeting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-03-01 00:26:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18789277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oumy/pseuds/Oumy
Summary: Alec and Magnus' first meeting from #2Cfic, which you can findhere





	All the words I could not say

**Author's Note:**

> Hello beautiful people! I can't seem to stop thinking about this version of Alec and Magnus, and since you guys have been total rockstars about #2Cfic, here is a little something I was asked about.
> 
> If you haven't read #2Cfic before, I linked it in the summary. I've been told that it's a great read so be sure to give it a peek. If you have and are in the mood for more Alec and Magnus, this one's for you :)

_It’s worth it. It’s worth it. It’s worth it._ That was the mantra Alec was chanting in his brain as he listened to his father lecture him between bites of eggs benedict. Why was he even here? Surely, he could have asked his siblings to meet him for brunch in some quaint little restaurant in the Village to avoid the headache of hanging out with his parents, but he was a stickler for misery, because he still showed up to these shindigs they insisted on having every Monday morning.

Isabelle and Jace were sitting across from him, stuffing their faces with pancakes even as their eyes sparked flames and he knew that they wanted to intervene, say something to get their father off his case, but he caught their eyes and shook his head discreetly. This wasn’t their battle to fight.

Did it make him a bad person if he didn’t even know what his father was mad about? He had developed selective hearing when it came to Robert Lightwood’s temper tantrums years ago, but it was still a pain to hear the onslaught of incessant droning as he tried to make demands Alec couldn’t and wouldn’t meet. Surprisingly, just as his Hollandaise sauce dripped on the tablecloth morosely, his ears picked up on the most peculiar sentence “your mother wouldn’t have to go looking for another cello sponsorship”

Alec looked up at his father, whose brows were notched disapprovingly, and his mother who was fidgeting in her seat, delicately clearing her throat and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture, interjected “Well, that’s not why I gave him the sponsorship, Robert. Magnus is an incredible musician. He deserved his spot”, then she looked at Alec, lips fluttering in a hesitant smile “It has nothing to do with you, dear”. Her reassurance fell flat, as did most her expressions. After all, Maryse Lightwood was not known for her miming skills. She was known for being the best music head-hunter in the country, and Alec’s stomach twisted into knots because “Magnus? Magnus Bane?”

His mother nodded, already going back to her food as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on her oldest son “Yes, I’m sure I’ve mentioned him before”

Oh, yes! She’d mentioned him alright. In fact, Alec was certain that he’d heard the blasted name more than his own in the past few months, ever since his mother had attended a recital in one of her targeted colleges, and came back home with a new favorite topic. To hear his mother describe the man, Magnus Bane was the second coming of Jesus, the next Einstein and the long lost miracle child of Mozart and Beethoven rolled into one. Alec doubted anyone could actually be as impressive as his mother made him out to be, but arguing would just invite more input on the subject, and he was already so done with all of it. His mother continued, unbothered by the thunderous expression currently gracing his face “I expect you to be gracious to him, Alec. He starts today”

His father arched an imperial brow and snarled “Gracious? You expect him to make friends with his competition? If that’s what you’re trying to instill in him, no wonder he wasn’t sufficiently efficient, and you had to look elsewhere”. Fucking Hell! He tried. He really _really_ tried not to let it get to him, but sometimes a little arrow went through the armor and pierced his heart, and he hated that after years, that little bugger still found place to do some damage. He opened his mouth, a sarcastic retort that would raise his father’s blood pressure already poised on his lips, when the jarring squeak of a chair being pushed away from the table made them all look up at Isabelle, who was standing in place, knuckles white as she clutched the edge of the table and glowered at their parents. Not taking her eyes off of them, she gritted out through clenched teeth “Alec, do you mind giving me a ride? I forgot about a practice session I had at twelve”

“Me too”, Jace chimed in, pushing back from the table, “Let me just get my jacket”

Their mother, forever oblivious or intentionally obtuse, Alec could never tell, called out after him “But you still haven’t touched the deviled eggs, Jace. You love those”

“Lost my appetite”, his brother muttered over his shoulder as he disappeared upstairs.

 

 

He dropped his siblings off, both of them giving him extra-long hugs that warmed his heart more than any words they could have tried to say. However, his black mood remained, a cloud hovering over his head, making him antsy and anxious. He knew that going home meant a void where his thoughts and insecurities could assault him in full glory, and as much as he wanted to wallow, he knew doing so wouldn’t help any, so he parked in the back and went into his practice room.

2C was his favorite place in this entire Institute, and quite honestly, it ranked pretty high up in his favorite places ever. It was a practice room on the second floor, and while it was public property of the Institute, it had somehow ended up being his domain. He climbed the stairs wearily, wanting nothing more than to hole up and play a bit. Maybe that would alleviate the pressure he could feel in his chest. As he reached the top of the staircase however, he heard his mother’s voice. Alec frowned, thinking that she had to have left the house right after them to be here already, and hurried to the bay windows overlooking the front steps. His mother was standing there, watching someone talk to a cabbie. The car drove off, and the man straightened and turned around to face Maryse, who was smiling like a proud parent. Maybe the sight should have instilled some form of jealousy in Alec. After all, his mother had never looked at him with such blatant respect in her gaze, but he found that his brain was too preoccupied by the man facing her.

So, this was the elusive Magnus Bane. Alec couldn’t really see all of him from his vantage point, but he could see the cut of his tall form, a fit frame that was accentuated by the gold shirt he was wearing, paired with tight black pants, combat boots and assortment of jewelry on his fingers and around his neck. He looked…Different, Alec thought. Not different bad, or different good, just different, like he was the kind of person you would recognize from across the room, like there was something about him, a spark that made him instantly identifiable in a crowd, then Magnus lifted his head and looked straight at Alec and he could feel his breath stall out in his chest. Alec knew that there was no way Magnus was looking at him. The windows were tinted, so he must just be admiring the majestic view of the gothic building, but it didn’t matter, because the blast of heat that had assaulted him from that one peek had been enough.

Alec didn’t have a type. He’d known this about himself for a while now. He never knew if he was attracted to blonds or brunets, tall fit guys, or small delicate features. There was no rhythm or pattern to his attraction, but apparently, one had just developed, because those chocolate brown eyes, that sharp jawline, those full lips and those cheekbones had just become his favorite things. Alec swallowed roughly, feeling heat rise in his chest, even as his stomach knotted itself into tighter balls of anxiety. This was bad. This was so very bad. He couldn’t be attracted to Magnus Bane. He knew himself enough to know that he became a tongue-tied mess in front of people he was attracted to, and a new addition to the team, who was already a point of contention between him and his parents was the last person he should be stammering with.

He probably spent too long dwelling on the matter because when he looked back down at the scene, both his mother and Magnus had disappeared inside. That was better, actually. He didn’t need another peek at the guy that oozed confidence and charm even from across a window and two floors. He probably _was_ just as good as his mother had made him out to be, Alec thought morosely.

This was the last thing he needed. Most days, he felt like his entire life was just wrapped together by a small fraying twine rope, and that with every decision he made, every move he made, the rope unraveled a little bit more, strings of it cutting loose to let more of the chaos in his brain out into the world, making him more vulnerable to scrutiny. The clicking of heels on the staircase alerted him to the arrival of people, and he somehow knew who it would be long before he heard his mother’s voice, methodically explaining things about the facility. Fucking hell, why hadn’t he moved from his spot before they got here?

They cleared the landing, and he looked at his mother’s right, and there he was. Against all odds, Magnus Bane was even more beautiful up close. The gold of his shirt only seemed to highlight this light that shined from him, and Alec realized that he was being the corniest man alive with his thoughts going on as such, but honestly, his brain wasn’t firing on all cylinders. He was blinded by the grace and surefooted stance and the thoughtful almost hopeful expression Magnus was giving him. For a flash of a second, Alec thought he could see a hint of sadness to his gaze, then it disappeared and he thought he’d imagined it.

His heart was beating so wildly he could hear it in his eardrums. His stomach was whirling around with all sorts of butterflies and his hands felt clammy and sweaty and shaky, and Goddammit, he was just going to open the window and fling himself out because that would honestly make a better first impression than the dear-in-headlights look he was sure was written all over his face. Magnus lifted his hand, extending it towards Alec, _you know, as normal people do_ , and Alec looked at it like a snake about to bite him, because there was no way he was touching that hand. He was not giving a hint as to how shaky he felt!

Magnus smiled, further messing with Alec’s psyche, and said in the most melodic voice Alec had ever heard “I’m Magnus Bane”. He had a deep baritone, and the simple sentence prickled chills all over Alec. He felt frozen to the spot, mouth parched, heart bursting and panic mounting, still looking at that outstretched hand like it was going to hold up a fucking cue card for him with an appropriate answer.

When the silence stretched too long, he knew he had to say something, anything, so his brilliant, highly intelligent brain thought blurting out “I know” was the best idea. The second the words left his mouth, he wanted to close his eyes and hit himself, because _oh my God._

Magnus’ entire body kind of rocked back for a second, his mouth opening and closing before he straightened and his eyes sparked with something unpleasant, as if he was communicating clearly “So, that’s how you want to play it?” and Alec wanted to take it back, and demand a do over, even as he just wanted them to go away because he really felt like he was going unhinged.

His mother cleared her throat and Alec looked at her to see disappointment in her gaze. It was probably sad that a stranger’s feelings affected him more than his own mother’s but the sentiment did nothing for him. All it did was remind him of this morning’s hurtful words that his mother did nothing to shield, and the riot of emotions he had been going through just quieted down, fading as the hurt took stage center once again.

“Let me show you the practice rooms, Magnus”, his mother chirped happily, already firmly back in hostess mode, and Alec just looked away, out the windows before his expression of utter disgust made Magnus Bane think even worse of him. The pair moved away, still awkwardly recovering from Alec’s faux pas, leaving him with the bitter taste of regret. He told himself that it was all for the best. After all, Magnus Bane looked like he was meant to outshine the sun, and Alec… Well, most days, he felt like all he was meant for was to fade into obscurity.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> Leave a comment, tell me what you think, and if there's more you'd like to see from this universe. I might just do something about it ;)


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